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TUWC • Looking back at 2023

Tag: Greenspace Preservation

Leave No Trace Spotlight on Oxley Nature Center

Oxley Nature Center Selected as One of 21 National Leave No Trace Spotlight Sites Supported by the Airbnb Community Fund

Nov 7, 2023 Oxley Nature Center

The Leave No Trace organization has selected Oxley Nature Center as a 2023 Spotlight site. As outdoor areas all over the country are being impacted by record use, this new initiative from Leave No Trace shines a light on communities rising to meet this challenge with multi-day, onsite education and stewardship programs. From November 11th – November 12th, a Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Team will be in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Tulsa Parks staff and the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition to work with the community and local land agencies to deliver Leave No Trace education as well as to partner on restoration and stewardship projects. 

Sites are nominated for the Leave No Trace Spotlight initiative by local land agencies or community groups. The diverse sites chosen in 2023 span the country, each with uniqueenvironmental challenges. The goal of the initiative is to equip each Spotlight area with relevant Leave No Trace tools that address the impacts the site is facing and ultimately, to foster healthy lands and people. 

“The Spotlight initiative highlights the great steps a community can take to protect an area that they cherish,” according to Dana Watts, the Executive Director of Leave No Trace. This year, the Airbnb Community Fund has made this program possible through a generous grant. Watts continues, “The Spotlight features workshops for stakeholders and Leave No Trace education for the public at large. It also will include opportunities for the community and our Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Team, who will be there conducting the initiative, to roll up their sleeves together at the Spotlight site and get some work done.”  

“I’m thrilled to announce that the Leave no Trace traveling team is coming to Oxley Nature Center in Tulsa. This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to promote responsible outdoor ethics and sustainable practices in our urban wilderness. We’re excited to engage in our community in these events and make a lasting impact on our beautiful natural surroundings.” Laurie Biby Marketing and PR Director for Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition.

The following events are free and open to the public and we encourage people of all ages to attend. For more information visit https://lnt.org/event/

Sunday, November 12thStewardship Event: Join Leave No Trace and Oxley Nature Center Staff on Sunday, November 12th, for a fun volunteer day and stewardship project as part of the Oxley Nature Center Leave No Trace Spotlight. Volunteers will help plant trees and remove invasive species!

Sunday, November 12th:Trivia Event: Stop by Heirloom Rustic Ales to meet staff and volunteers from Oxley Nature Center and Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition to learn how practicing Leave No Trace can help keep Oxley, Tulsa Parks, and our surrounding areas safe and sustainable!

About Leave No Trace

Using the power of science and research, education for all, and stewardship to support and protect nature, Leave No Trace is on a mission to ensure a sustainable future for the outdoors and the planet. The Spotlight program is the newest education offering from Leave No Trace.Additional support for 2023 Spotlights comes from the Airbnb Community Fund. Learn more at: www.LNT.org

• Facebook: @LeaveNoTraceCenter

• Instagram: @LeaveNoTraceOrg 

• Twitter: @LeaveNoTrace 

• LinkedIn: @LeaveNoTrace

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Saturday June 17th, 2023 Trail Work Day

9:30AM – 12:30PM

  • Come prepared to work
  • Crews will be very spread out

What to bring / wear:

Tools (optional)

***** Should you bring personal tools please clearly label them so you can make it home with what you brought.

*******note – we do not expect any one volunteer to provide everything on this list, pick one or two things

  • Gloves
  • Lopper/Pruner (with your name on them)
  • Hand saw (non-power like a bow saw or folding saw) and small Axe/Hatchet
  • Hoe (both traditional & rogue) / Shovel (spade & square)
  • Pulaski / Mattock
  • Mcleod
  • Rake (leaf and garden rake)
  • Wheelbarrow

Project list:

  • Depending on how many volunteers we have this is our list of projects in order of importance.
  • Rake out drains on all trails
  • This is an ongoing project to keep the new trails in good repair.
  • Rock armor low wet spot on upper lot north entrance.
  • That north trailhead is unfortunately where most of the water drains for the upper parking lot. This will require a lot of rock moving.
  • Touch up on new staircase. Likely first couple of years of stairs will need periodic maintenance like this.
  • Older trail reclamation
  • Some older trails that were shut down permanently (like the blue trail next to Zingo, the old yellow trail that went from upper lot to ridge/point, the old west entrance on upper parking lot near driveway) are starting to get “reopened” by folks and we need to go in and rebrush them and reclaim them.
  • Additionally if any families or groups wish to just come out and pick up litter we will gladly set them to work too!
  • If you have any questions please contact BobbyEric or Peter
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March 4th 2023 Turkey Mountain Work Day

9AM – NOON

  • Come prepared to work
  • Crews will be very spread out

What to bring / wear:

Tools (optional)

*****should you bring personal tools please clearly label them so you can make it home with what you brought.

*******note – we do not expect any one volunteer to provide everything on this list, pick one or two things

  • Gloves
  • Lopper/Pruner (with your name on them)
  • Hand saw (non-power like a bow saw or folding saw) and small Axe/Hatchet
  • Hoe (both traditional & rogue) / Shovel (spade & square)
  • Pulaski / Mattock
  • Mcleod
  • Rake (leaf and garden rake)
  • Wheelbarrow

Project list:

  • Depending on how many volunteers we have this is our list of projects in order of importance.
  • Rake out drains on all trails
  • This is an ongoing project to keep the new trails in good repair.
  • Rock armor low wet spot on upper lot north entrance.
  • That north trailhead is unfortunately where most of the water drains for the upper parking lot. This will require a lot of rock moving.
  • Touch up on new staircase. Likely first couple of years of stairs will need periodic maintenance like this.
  • Older trail reclamation
  • Some older trails that were shut down permanently (like the blue trail next to Zingo, the old yellow trail that went from upper lot to ridge/point, the old west entrance on upper parking lot near driveway) are starting to get “reopened” by folks and we need to go in and rebrush them and reclaim them.
  • Additionally if any families or groups wish to just come out and pick up litter we will gladly set them to work too!
  • If you have any questions please contact Bobby, Eric or Peter
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Notes From the TUWC Veep

Trail work report: It’s unlikely that we’ve seen this level of work being done at Turkey Mountain, maybe ever. That, and with the new trails systems that have opened up at Lubell Park and Bales Park, the River Parks Authority and the city of Tulsa have been busy creating and enhancing trail systems that serve the region’s outdoor community. By now, you’ve probably seen some of the new multi-use and bike-only downhill trails at Turkey Mountain. Now, you’ll see something else: a stone staircase leading from one of the mountain’s lower trails that will ascend all the way to the top, linking up to existing trails that will give users the opportunity to ascend Turkey Mountain and gain access to some its more popular overlooks.

I’ve walked it with RPA’s Ryan Howell, and I can tell you this: It’s a work of art. It’s newly finished, and will be a popular go-to place for people to climb to the top of Turkey Mountain and will feature its own photogenic scenes. All of the rock used in the staircase was sourced from Turkey Mountain itself, and erosion-prone uphill trails that had become nightmare washouts will be left to remediate naturally. What’s more: The staircase is just part of what’s going on there now, and there will be work to create a variety of different trails – from multi-use, beginner-friendly routes to wilder paths that will challenge runners and cyclists. RPA, through various private, local, state and federal sources, has procured millions of dollars to turn its master plan into reality, and do it in a way that’s sustainable and erosion resistant.

Update on the deer: A few weeks back, we all learned that someone poached a deer at Turkey Mountain. As of this writing, we are still unsure who illegally harvested the deer. It is very difficult to find and prosecute poachers unless they are caught in the act of shooting wildlife. That said, this reminder needs to be said: It is illegal to shoot firearms within the city limits, and hunting isn’t allowed at Turkey Mountain. The park is designed to be an urban wilderness, which means that part of its mission is to provide good habitats for plants and animals that live there.

So if you or anyone you know is tempted to hunt at Turkey Mountain, don’t. There are plenty of places in Oklahoma to hunt, and discharging a firearm at a place known to have a high level of human traffic is dangerous to other Turkey Mountain users. If you see someone hunting at Turkey Mountain, call Tulsa police.

Bob Doucette

Vice President / Govt Affairs

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